A LETTER To the Admired Fraternity Of the ORDER OF R. C.  
 pastoral scene  
LONDON, Printed by J. C. for William lay in Paul's Chain. 1655.   

To the highly illuminated men of God, The Fraternity of R. C. S. T. S. D.  
IT doth not seem impossible to me, that my sincere presentment should find access unto yourselves( for other Title( I think) you covet not;) although( perhaps) some things have passed my thoughts, which have in many bread a full dissentment. It is some time since first I undertook this resolution; and in this time, I have endured many dissuasions in myself. It may be at the first, my faith did not extend thus far: or, if I did believe you true, and highly honourable; I did, as well, believe, that your Petitioners were tumultuary; and that men of greater acquaintance, and parts more valuable, would step in, before me; and I should be but like the lame man at the troubled waters side: for I did conclude, if all who( upon sight of your Fama, and Confessio) must( of necessity) be ravished with the hopes of so vast a Benefit,( and consequently, enflamed with a desire of satisfaction) were answered, that then, either some of my acquaintance; or some, that my acquaintance either knew, or heard of, might( probably) be in that number. Disputes of this kind, did a good while stagger me; and( it may be) have, at this time, the same influence upon many others. But your own Answer to your own Objection in your Confessio, doth most aptly resolve mine here: for( say you,) Although we freely offer ourselves to all Europe, and not to Princes onely, and men of power; yet we partly very well know that none but men of like affections can or will accept our invitation. And notwithstanding I could find but small encouragement within myself, to expect so great an happiness; yet I considered, how the Almighty God tenders himself to all, and that none are excluded, but by their own incapacity; which Rule( I do believe) you imitate: Nor am I without confirmation( to this purpose) from yourselves: for( I remember) you promise, that none shall fail either to speak with you by word of mouth; or if any thing hinders, in writing: by this( although I have not the opportunity of joining with the Learned in Europe, when they shall writ unto you( jointly) as you have desired them) I am emboldened to hope for such a return, as to your wisdoms shall seem most fitting and convenient. There are few( I think) that with more earnestness desire to be within your disposition & protection, then myself; although I do believe, that many in Europe have greater reason: for I attribute it not to any knowledge I have of your Mysteries;( and yet I do believe some very great Truths are generally held Impossibilities) but rather, to the coherency betwixt my own Propositions, and what you have declared: for( I do confess)( before I had intelligence of your Fraternity, which is now my greatest joy) I did intend a search into the Eastern Countries, for better helps, then( what I understood) were to be found in Europe.  
Now( happiest men, whom I most love, and most admire) reject not him, whose application is ingenuously free from any sinister respect: for( I thank my God) my love to your honoured Fraternity( which is almost impatient of delays) is not excited by any apprehension I have of an advantage by your abundant treasures; not like the hypocritick multitude, that followed Christ our Saviour, because he gave them victuals; but for causes truely-honourable, such as I hope will be acceptable unto your perfect understandings. For my part, I am so far from loving sumptuous Buildings, that I count it more slavery, to be tied to the management of their appurtenances: and what you promise to the meanest of your accepted suppliants, I do prefer to Kingdoms: for what need hath man of more,( if he were not ambitious) then a certain assurance of no want? He that is diligent in search of his diseases, will find his covetous desires principal: nor is there any thing that more unmans us, then want of Liberty,( for that's our due and proper claim, above the other creatures) and yet we can be so irrational, to love our main impediment.  
My reasons why I have addressed myself unto you, are grounded on a steadfast creed I have, that God hath treasurers on earth, who shall repair mans losses. For, as your honoured Father, and Founder of your Fraternity, when he died, left not his successors without provision against all mischances, and so well furnished his own Sepulchre, that, although they had been utterly dispersed and dissipated, they might( by that Compendium alone) have amply been repaired: so God himself, when he did drown the world, forgot not to provide for mankindes restauration: nor will be( I am sure) leave us( whom he once formed after his own image) thus overwhelmed in ignorance; for that is it alone which separates betwixt him and us. What God doth, is by means: and( for ought I know) your Reverend Father( whose Memory I honour) was as immediately chosen for the vindication of man's better part, as Noah for the maintenance of seed. The world( I know) when they shall see my name subscribed, will count me over-credulous; wherefore I once did think to have omitted that: but I have since taken more courage, and am resolved the contrary, however they resent it: 'T is not my business to please them but you; my hope is your admittance: nor shall I neglect any thing that tends to the procurement, because they may not like it. I must confess, I was at first much dis-encouraged, because I never had known a president of this: but that not long possessed me; for on maturer thoughts, I rather imputed it to mans negligence in self-examination, then to a no-want of such advantages as you have well propounded. When I did red some of your Propositions, I found my spirit respond to a Magnetick touch; to find a promise of resolution to my own doubts,( wherein I had so much been gravelled) seemed as it had been writ particularly to me. To know Man, was my highest thoughts: but when I did begin to study it, I found such inability in myself, as was not suitable to so profound a labour. I do not pretend to determine of your benefits,( if I am so fortunate, as to win your approbation:) for I believe them greater, then my present imagination: my endeavour is to state how much I have discovered of my necessity of your assistance: and I am glad that I( in part) have known my wants: for, to understand a disease, is the first Rule in Cures. The ignorance of my own estate never troubled me, until I did believe, that through myself did lye the way unto the sacred Mystery of my Saviour's passion: when I remember that he, who( himself) was entirely righteous, suffered the penalty of mans transgressions,( methinks) some Questions necessary interpose, which I would fain resolve. I do( sometimes) begin to contemplate on the relation 'twixt Man and his Redeemer; and would by that means deduce reasons, how, and why 't is said, He that sanctifies, and those that are sanctified, are all of one: But here I stop; and can arrive at nothing more then a mere glimmering of what( I do believe) your perfectly discern.  
Should you give me that freedom which the wise Iarchas was said to give the graecian Apollonius,( when he was admitted to converse with the Arabian Philosophers, & had it granted to him to ask whatsoever he pleased, and he should be satisfied in it) I should not( as he did) pick out unnecessary Questions, which do conduce more unto our School-disputes, then to the true advancement of his knowledge: not ask you whether the earth of sea do exceed in quantity; but entreat your instructions in that true Philosophy, which doth declare and manifest man; and teaches why he is called Microcosm; believing him to be the Compend and Model of the worlds great bulk. I might insist on more of your own reasons: but as I do desire( sincerely from my heart) to be like you in all things; so I shall likewise imitate you in brevity,( which you, yourselves observe;) concluding,( with what I most love to remember) that the time shall come, when honour shall be given to the tongue. For I have not passed over that Comparison betwixt the Tongue and a Ships Rudder, without some meditation. It now rests, that I subscribe my name. My yeers have not been many; nor is it long, since I have been within the customary number of yeers, whereat we do receive the Sacrament: through the darkness of times, and mens opinions, I never yet received it; and now, I do intend to wait, till providence & your pleasures shall admit me to communicate with you; and I pray God, that that time may not be delayed: and that I may be as dear in your loves, as he, who bore the name which I inherit, was in his fathers,( S. Paul) which being construed with what my Godfathers gave me makes up  
April 26. 1655. Corona Honorata.